Monday, 11 November 2013

So Len, just run this by me again, I'm confused...

On Sunday Politics with Andrew Neil, McCluskey denies (8:07) Unite legal chief, Howard Beckett, said in an email that his Communications team should prepare "nasty stuff" on Labour figures here.

"That's not true!" exclaims a hurt-sounding McCluskey. It is all a dastardly plot by the Tories and the Tory media. "What emails?" he says, when asked by Neil about Stevie Deans' email cache, now in the posession of the Sunday Times.

But, oh look, the Sunday Times yesterday published an email here from said cache by Beckett here (£):

"Comms will prepare the nasty stuff we know of individuals in the labour party but this will not be used".

Whether or not it is used immediately seems quite irrelevant but, call me old-fashioned, either the Sunday Times has fabricated this evidence, or it looks like Len McCluskey has said something on national television which has now been directly contradicted by written evidence. Although I would be delighted to hear from anyone at Unite who can explain this contradiction.

Doubtless it is another sinister "media witch-hunt" by the Tories and their friends in the media, etc. etc.

Subscribe/Links

About the blogger

Activist, free thinker, Labour Party management team through 2001 and 2005 general elections, responsible for Labour's early web presence and creator of its first-ever national electoral register. Dad to two lovely little girls. Now work as project/programme/interim manager for an evil multinational, with a sideline in political commentary.

Politically think of myself as a loyalist (rather than a parrot). Member of Progress and the Co-op. My posts are vetted only by my, er, own sense of discretion and propriety. I've worked in business for many years, so have no truck with anti-business prejudice. Like social/ethical business, co-operatives and sustainability. Fought one general election and longlisted by NEC panel to be Labour candidate in 2010.